Telecoms spend heavily on politics, lobbying

Los Angeles Times

Published Saturday, October 01, 2005

Big telecommunications companies spent more than $134 million currying favor with state lawmakers in efforts to blunt competitors and push through favorable legislation, according to a study to be released Thursday.

The Center for Public Integrity found that the telecom companies spent $56.8 million on political contributions in the last six full years and at least $77.8 million on lobbying in the last two years.

The study is the first time the Washington, D.C.-based nonpartisan group has taken a state-by-state look at an industry's political activity. With poor reporting laws in many states, the numbers gleaned are conservative, said John Dunbar, the study's author.

Thursday's report is part of a three-year project examining federal and state lobbying and campaign spending by telecom companies. The center previously reported that the industry spent more than $500 million at the federal level.

"What's amazing is how powerful the telecom companies are," he said. "This shows who's pulling the strings in the states."

The telecom group includes cable, satellite and broadcast companies, but the regional phone giants, particularly SBC Communications Inc., "are still the kings for now," he said.

SBC spokesman Dave Pacholczyk said telecommunications is one of the most heavily regulated industries in the nation. The company, he said, wants to "make sure policy-makers are educated and informed" on highly technical issues.